China Awakens

Part 1

This program traces the complex historical roots of modern China, from early encounters with the West to the death of Mao Zedong-a leader who may have shaped his nation more completely than any other man of his era. Pre-eminent for most of two millennia, China's technological, economic, and cultural dominance gradually eroded in the centuries following the European Renaissance. By the late 19th century it had several suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of distant foreign powers. Forced to sign unequal treaties imposed by the imperialist victors, it was dubbed "the sick man of Asia". And the early 20th century, though it saw reform, development, and the birth of China as a democratic state, was also marred by persistent social unrest. In 1927 conflict between the Communist party and nationalists erupted into civil war-one of the deadliest and longest-lasting conflicts of the century. It was not until 1949 that the Communists finally emerged victorious. Mao Zedong, the farmer's son who rose to power in the Long March, proclaimed the People's Republic of China. The legacy of Mao's 27-year rule remains disputed. Remarkable archive footage-as well as a range of commentators-allows us to form a multifaceted view of a man alternatively dubbed mass-murderer and saint. Was it Mao who, in re-opening diplomatic relations with the US in 1972, truly modernized China? Or was it Deng, the anti-ideological liberalizer who said "It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice"? And who should bear responsibility for the 30 million deaths of the Great Chinese Famine? This film provides a critical grounding in China's modern history.